Case Management of Childhood Illnesses in the Private Health Sector

Over the past two decades, marked progress has been made in reducing preventable child mortality. However, there is a lack of summarized evidence about what works and what can be done to accelerate the reduction of child mortality. In particular, the private health sector’s role needs further exploration—including which models might be most effective, and which interventions show promise in delivering high quality services and ensuring program sustainability. As a first step in responding to these evidence gaps, the USAID-funded Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Plus project conducted a review of peer-reviewed publications and gray literature to gather evidence of integrated approaches to the management of childhood illness (including diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria) implemented by the private sector. This brief summarizes the findings from the full report available on the SHOPS Plus website. The findings from this report are being utilized to inform a collaborative Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative exercise, which will help to identify research priorities to advance the effective prevention, management, and treatment of childhood illness through private sector approaches or partnerships.